SIMULATING TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF PRESSURE IN 2-PHASE FLOW IN POROUS-MEDIA

We have simulated the temporal evolution of pressure due to capillary and viscous forces in two-phase drainage in porous media. We analyze o ur result in light of macroscopic flow equations for two-phase flow. W e also investigate the effect of the trapped clusters on the pressure evolution and on the effective permeability of the system. We find tha t the capillary forces play an important role during the displacements for both fast and slow injection rates and both when the invading flu id is more or less viscous than the defending fluid. The simulations a re based on a network simulator modeling two-phase drainage displaceme nts on a two-dimensional lattice of tubes.